Category Archives: Optional Readings

Spiders tune their webs like guitar strings. Very short video; worth the click. This upcoming Macbeth movie looks potentially pretty cool. Sounds like David Foster Wallace’s essay “Consider the Lobster” caused more than a couple of arguments with his editor. … Continue reading →

Over at Slate they have a pretty good essay about how the word “cool” changed over time, from its origins in African-American subculture, through its place in ’60s and ’70s youth culture, to a concept that crosses ethnic, gender, and … Continue reading →

In case you think I’m kidding about going to bed early tonight, here are a few links about the importance of adolescents getting sufficient sleep. For example this, from PBS: In experiments done at Harvard Medical School and Trent University … Continue reading →

Here’s the web video I mentioned, by Anita Sarkeesian: “Damsel in Distress: Part 1 – Tropes vs Women in Video Games.” If you like her work, go visit her blog. What’s a trope? Here’s a short answer. Here’s a longer … Continue reading →